HOW TO: install power window motor

[gnomee]

When I roll my window all the way up there is a loud thumping. Also it rolls down but won't come up. I have to pull it up with my hand. Any ideas of the problem?

This sounds like the part that is attached to the bottom of the glass and has the wheel that rides in the track.

I've had that fail before and the exact same symptoms.

If you take your door panel off it will be obvious. I ended up paying a glass repair place to fix it, my fat hands hate the inside of those doors!

[vassago]

Between the OP link and the autotrix website. I did the fix in an hour.
Luckily the holes were already drilled.

Thanks for both sets of instructions. On to the BCM.

[herculesrider1]

I purchased the Autozone motor for $44 with a lifetime warranty. Can't beat a deal like that. No problems since! Has anyone ever re-riveted the motor back in? Instead of hassleing with the screws and loctite, seems like re-riveting would be quicker and more secure....Just wondering...

[theorangeguy]

I purchased the Autozone motor for $44 with a lifetime warranty. Can't beat a deal like that. No problems since! Has anyone ever re-riveted the motor back in? Instead of hassleing with the screws and loctite, seems like re-riveting would be quicker and more secure....Just wondering...

I've never re-riveted a window motor but I did have to fix a regulator that was installed with some really small bolts...they started tearing away at the fiberglass in the door and stretched the holes but some giant washers and bigger bolts solved that.

[Ed Blown Vert]

I installed mine with the screws. It's a lot easer than you think.

[herculesrider1]

Yeah, I installed mine with the screws also, but the getting behind the panel with the nut and getting it threaded was touch and go. I pulled the speaker out but it was still a challenge. Hence my question about re-riveting. Let me put it this way, had I had a pop rivet gun, I would have riveted it back in. I still have to do the passenger side, so, I will buy a rivet gun and re-rivet it in and compare screws/nuts on the driver side to rivets on the passenger side. I also purchased the passenger side window speed upgrade that will be installed next.

[Ed Blown Vert]

Hmm.... I also had the speaker out and a block holding the window up.
Didn't have an issue with the screws.

[jodmari]

i heard about the pass side upgrade something about that motor does not get the full 12v from factory is that correct and have you installed it yet

[SMWS6TA]

Yes you are correct. I have had mine in since 09 and never had an issue so far.

Well worth the $40

[jodmari]

the one i saw was a wire harness from switch direc to 12v thought it was over a $100 bucks

[SMWS6TA]

Type in ".net" to the "autotrix" for the website and you will see it for $40 +shipping. Takes about an hour to do, little more if you swap out the window motor too.

I can't post the direct link because they are not a sponsor.

[herculesrider1]

I didn't rivet the passenger side back in, I went with the screws. The rivet gun was more $$ than I wanted to spend for a one time use. I never rivet anything anyway. The window fix kit makes it open and close like a "guillotine"!!! Sweet. It took me a little longer because I am OCD and ran the wire inside wire loom, and hid it going from the battery across the front of the car. Had to remove the computer at the base of the windshield in order to get to the hole in the firewall, and then fish it through, and over to the door. And pulling that thing out was not easy. Very tight fit. It took me a full day just to pull the new circuit from the battery into the cabin, take off the door cover, and prep for the new window motor. It took me another half day to replace the window motor and wire the new circuit into the window motor and arrange the wiring to "fit" into the handle. It's a tight fit, but it works out fine. There is room for the new relays to fit into the compartment directly underneath the window switch. And the schematic showing how the wires are to be wired up is straight forward also. Cut the motor wiring as long as you possibly can, so that you will have plenty to work with. Put a little grease in the window regulator tracks and button her back up. It works better than from the factory. Waaay better!!!

[jodmari]

now i got it thanks i was looking at the express down kit for over $100

[{FzS}BlacKMagicK]

I've looked through this thread and am still wondering...is there a reason everyone here buys the Autozone motor when the original is 47 bucks? Several have noted the original is faster and I imagine one wouldn't have to worry about hole alignment and backwards wiring issues as much so I don't get it.

OEM WINDOW MOTOR (88960088) for your GM Vehicle

[herculesrider1]

I bought my motors from AutoZone because of convenience and a few dollars less per motor. I have owned two T/A's, a '98, and a '00, and both of them had slow passenger side motor speeds. I bought the '98 from the factory with 26 miles on it, and the passenger side window motor was slower than the driver's side. In my experience, the original was NOT faster. Hence why aftermarket companies have a window fix kit to speed up the passenger side motor. I also never had any problems with hole alignment or backwards wiring issues. The wiring diagrams that come with the new motors are self explanatory. Perhaps to someone who has no knowledge whatsoever of electrical diagrams it might be difficult, but like I say, if it's too hot, stay out of the kitchen! Don't bite off more than you can chew! Hole alignment was perfect on the replacement motors. Proper orientation is crucial when marking the new motors as to where the new screws should go. I thought the replacement was exceptional and had fun doing it....

[{FzS}BlacKMagicK]

I bought my motors from AutoZone because of convenience and a few dollars less per motor. I have owned two T/A's, a '98, and a '00, and both of them had slow passenger side motor speeds. I bought the '98 from the factory with 26 miles on it, and the passenger side window motor was slower than the driver's side. In my experience, the original was NOT faster. Hence why aftermarket companies have a window fix kit to speed up the passenger side motor. I also never had any problems with hole alignment or backwards wiring issues. The wiring diagrams that come with the new motors are self explanatory. Perhaps to someone who has no knowledge whatsoever of electrical diagrams it might be difficult, but like I say, if it's too hot, stay out of the kitchen! Don't bite off more than you can chew! Hole alignment was perfect on the replacement motors. Proper orientation is crucial when marking the new motors as to where the new screws should go. I thought the replacement was exceptional and had fun doing it....

I'm referring to what others have noted is their experience. About to replace the driver's side again (was ok for 3 years) so I've been in this kitchen before. Just seems to me if there's so many problems with the AZ one's OEM might be the way to go. I used an AZ one myself when I replaced it and didn't have those issues but am now thinking it might have lasted longer if I had went with OEM. I'm well aware of the slow passenger side window, what I was referring to was someone in this thread that said the driver's side was faster with the OEM vs the AZ one, apparently he had replaced his twice also. The passenger side doesn't bother me because it hasn't ever crapped out and here I am as others have been, going for round two on the driver's side.

[herculesrider1]

I'm referring to what others have noted is their experience. About to replace the driver's side again (was ok for 3 years) so I've been in this kitchen before. Just seems to me if there's so many problems with the AZ one's OEM might be the way to go. I used an AZ one myself when I replaced it and didn't have those issues but am now thinking it might have lasted longer if I had went with OEM. I'm well aware of the slow passenger side window, what I was referring to was someone in this thread that said the driver's side was faster with the OEM vs the AZ one, apparently he had replaced his twice also. The passenger side doesn't bother me because it hasn't ever crapped out and here I am as others have been, going for round two on the driver's side.

I understand! I have only had to replace both window motors once, but the closeness in price is a no brainer to go OEM, if the OEM will last longer. Yeah, I hate being in the kitchen if I don't have to be either~!! I think one advantage of AZ is the lifetime guarantee, which I don't think the OEM offers. Perhaps that is why people go AZ or O'Reilly or Advance?...

[Cutlass]

If it's a nice car and you love the car and you wanna keep the car super nice, buying the best window motor will give you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Plus it will last longer, probably.

[Tomicich]

I replaced my passenger window motor, also did the Autotrix kit at the same time (should have done it years ago!) and went with the AZ motor. With the Autotrix kit it's much much faster and rolling up both at the same time it is fully closed exactly when the driver side is, but I think the motor is sketchy because it kinda pulses "rrr, rrr, rrr, rrr..." - visibly I think I can see the pulsing, but it's so slight it's one of those things that could just be me seeing what I'm expecting from the sound...